“The RoseBouquet”

My classes in Computer Basics are off to a slow start, but there may be wisdom in that.

I had promised one friend some lessons more than a year ago. A lot of stuff happened in between, but I finally got to it this last Saturday.

Another friend took my offer of the one week of afternoon classes for this week. As of yesterday, Lynn was the only student. (Another friend has crazy shift hours, but said he’d try to come when he can). It works out to Lynn’s favour though, because he has a page long list of things he wants to learn, and problems to be solved with his own computer and printers. I am now able to focus on his specific problems. So instead of paying some techie to come to his house at a rate of $60 - 120/hr, he’s paying for a week long series of lessons and trouble-shooting for just $75, my starting up special price.

At the same time I get to see how long it takes me to explain or teach certain topics. I can get a better feel for how much to cram into one 3 hour session. If I had four students this week that could be overwhelming.

However, this means I have next to no time to spend on promotion and recruiting students, so I really need to pray that more students will come next week.

I must say that I’m enjoying teaching. It makes me feel fulfilled and unique.

By the way, I did get some kind comments about Snowflake’s photo story last week;

Janice: Snowflake is a delightfull kitty. Reminds me of the days of having my own kitties… i truly enjoyed the pictures & what you had to say about her <-smile.

Connie: We keep dreaming of the day when we can go back to Florida AND get ourselves a pair of kitties. It’s so great that you have one though. They make such great companions, and you’ll be amazed how attached you’ll get to her too. She sure sounds like a real gem. May you both be totally blessed!

Shirley told me in person that loved the photo story and thinks my Snowflake is beautiful!

When I can work it in, I’ll have to show you some of the mischief she gets into.

I have received two translation jobs in the past week and must work in time for those among everything else. Last I checked there were only three of us on the net offering to translate German from the hand-written Gothic script to English. With how busy I am and how much effort that takes - I’m wondering if I should close that offer. Hmm?

Okay. I have four computers ready, although if better ones are donated (some are tentatively promised), I will be happy to replace my older, weaker models. I’ve been setting up the printers that have also been donated, but this is likely to be held up until I can afford to buy cartridges for this mix of models Only two are the same.

Meantime, I’m turning my attention this week to recruiting students, and I hope to have some ready to start next week! Since it is a first for me, and I may fumble a bit, I’m offering a special deal of just $75 for a week of half-day lessons. My regular fee will be $99/week, but I believe I need to be able to offer specials from time to time.

This short one-week course will be very introductory, meant for people like seniors who find they have a computer in the house and they are not sure how to use it. It still scares them a bit.

I plan to check with my community association too, as I see by their newsletter that they want to encourage the matching of courses and career advancement.

Later, about May, I hope to start my longer, four-month internship courses which will be all day long, and really be like an incubator to help people start their own home business from a computer.

This short course should boil down like this;

Monday - get familiar with the computer hardware and what’s hooked up with it, and how to change settings so it becomes really YOURS. I’ll throw some in about the advantages of Linux operating systems and their neat features.

Tuesday - explore your computer programs and what they can let you do, how to install and get rid of them, and how to do some basic trouble-shooting, and how to get the most out of your keyboard and mouse. How to keyboard nimbly.

Wednesday - using email safely and ethically, avoid spam- and how to scan pictures and send attachments, how to understand and set up a good filing system, and how to find things, and how to create graphics, etc. Then of course, also how to do backups regularly.

Thursday - surfing on the web, doing intelligent searches and research, how to shop online, and the barebones of websites and their basic structure, and how to use a blog effectively. How to avoid identity theft too.

Friday - discerning what is a good program to sign up for, so as to make money, and how to check out and avoid the scams. Some safe programs to join, and how to promote them so you can in fact make money from them.

Want to join me in praying that I’ll get the kind of students who will really benefit from such a course? Ask too, that I be a wise and effective teacher.

Obviously, I didn’t get any computers set up this morning, but I got one of the two I fussed over yesterday done. My old one is up and running well, and another one is doing okay, but i may try to install SUSE on that one yet. I have three others I want to do over better to solve some problems, and one of them is only a dial-up computer, so I may set that one aside to give away to some needy person.

There is a possibility three others will be given to me, so out of all these I should soon have four up and running smoothly. It didn’t quite happen last week, so my hopes were high for this week.

Oh, how I hope the next three mornings are very productive.

One good thing, is that I’m becoming much more familiar with the various operating systems or distros, and what their features, advantages and disadvantages are.

They say, “Curiosity killed the cat.” I can now add cleverly, “But education brought it back!”

With this eye problem I see it is even more urgent that I train others to do some of the work I’ve been doing, for if I should go blind it may all limp to a halt.

Still, as I reminded myself several times in the waiting rooms, God love and wonderful plan for my life has NOT come to an end. In fact, I was able to cancel the appointment for Thursday, which would have cost me $81. Despite all the waits, today’s services are covered by my Saskatchewan hospitalization plan. No cost to me today.

I had in mind to do a photo story today about my cat Snowflake. I’d been taking extra photos in preparation for that, but I think I better put that off another week. I hope you’ll understand. I need to fiddle with those photos and can’t see enough detail at this point.

I admit I was rather discouraged and filled with self-pity on Friday. Besides the stuffed head and runny nose, I didn’t seem to be making any headway with setting up the computers at the office. I brought two of them home that afternoon, and spent the better part of Saturday trying to take Games files off of the one for the previous owners - as I had promised. Finally I got all but one file that was too big, onto 14 floppy disks.

But when I tried them in another computer some were blank, and one was a virus!

I did some serious praying about all this on Sunday when I was stuck at home.

Yesterday, back at the office I tried again with another Linux Live CD called FeatherLinux, and was able to access the files and upload them via FTP to one of my sites, and later download them, and burn them to a CD. Complete. Thank You, Lord!

This morning I was able to install Mandrake 9.1 on that computer and it is working nicely except it doesn’t seem to know where my sound is. I feel much encouraged!

This is a tough stage to go through, and I’m learning a lot about operating systems, and what works and what does not work, Sticking to my schedule seems easier this week too. I’m still crowding my usual full-time job into afternoons and evenings, but I feel like I’m creeping forward in the mornings towards this new business start.

Just think how smart people will think I am when I show them how to solve these problems.

Wow! Did you pray for me after reading this spot last week? I’ve had blessings happen one day after another since then. A large surprise support gift came in for me at Western Tract Mission, I bought a new printer-scanner-copier for the office, my brother Ernie showed up for a visit on Saturday. I got my old computer which died in early December revived - at no additional cost!

Yesterday the director of the ministry which is my newest client called, and has promised me a bunch of lightly used computers and parts in return for some help in publishing his writings. I’m to go over to their place tonight. I think it is going to feel like Christmas.

This week I’m trying to be over at the office in the mornings, just as if I were teaching a course, and trying to get all my usual business work done here at home in the afternoons and evenings. I’m not quite on the mark yet, but I am excited at the thought of being able to start recruiting students in earnest soon. Maybe next week already?

You may have noticed that I’ve switched to publishing this RoseBouquet in the afternoon. I know once my computer courses start, that’s what I will have to do, so I’m switching to that schedule now already. Hopefully that doesn’t upset your schedule too badly.

Not everyone is a cat lover, so I’m trying not to dwell on the antics of Snowflake and my relationship with her too much or too often, but apparently some friends enjoyed my introduction of my new pet last week. Here is Janice’s enthusiastic response;

I love your dear Snowflake A very precious kitty… I was so wrapped up in the story that I was hoping for more It isn’t funny on your end I am sure, but the antics of the mouse (which I have gone through too) are kind of amusing. My former roommate & i had to deal with rat-mice & they are messy & gross… They got all over our clothes in our closets & messed on our clothes all over everything in the apartment. Not fun… I do hope Snowflake gets the idea of mousing & gets to enjoy you & your place too.

Hope to hear more about Snowflake sometimes & hope she catches that little mousey.
Janice…

The score in this war on the mice, is three dead mice last week, but I think I’m hearing some up in the attic. Hopefully we won’t have a plague of them when the roof is fixed. (No, I’m NOT going up to the attic. It is through a trapdoor in the very narrow basement stairwell). I’m thinking I should get that high-pitched sound gizmo you plug in that my friend Kathy showed me. Costs about $30!

Well, with that long tale, you’ll want me to use less words here.

I’m still juggling an impossible schedule. I did get one old computer fixed up and online at the office last week. I brought my old one back to work on here over the weekend, but haven’t got to it yet.

Two other used computers have been offered to me, but I haven’t received them yet.

There are another two at the office I might get working yet. If I get all that done this week, I will start promoting my courses in earnest next week.

I also need time to phone contractors and find some willing to quote me on the jobs needed on my home. One man at church agreed to consider it, and I got a lead for another one.

If it were not for the comfort I find in God’s Word, and remembering His character and promises, I could get quite depressed about these delays in starting my business. It will come to pass!

My new cat experience made me think of an old gem of an article I saved some years ago. I don’t know whom to credit it to, but I hope you’ll find it inspirational as well. If you don’t like cats you may find this issue turns you off, but for those who do like them, I thought I might as well stick with the theme.

On Saturday afternoon I had a meeting with members from the Board of another small ministry, and as a result have another client to fit into my busy schedule. It turned out to be a stimulating and interesting meeting, and I think we all came away enthused with the prospects.

They can hardly afford to pay their new director, but the treasurer assured me that they would do their best to pay for my services. That is heartening too.

Besides that someone is sending me a translation job.

Last week I became convinced that I need to ask in bold faith for better computers for that office so I can begin to offer my short courses (described last week). Turning old clunkers into working computers that go online and don’t have all kind of technical hiccups is very time-consuming. But I do feel encouraged that my goals and plans are worthy. I just need to hang in there and wait for computers to come. Either as gifts or as I can afford them.

It WILL all come together. I know that! A dear friend phoned on Thursday and we shared stories, and concluded that when we exhibit real faith we get our prayers answered. When we are in pity party mode, that doesn’t seem to happen so easily.

I’m also going to start calling contractors to come have a look at the parts of the renovations the inspector’s report they can do. (Another good reason to only be at the office in the mornings for a while).

Are you feeling overwhelmed too? Let me pluck the one violin string I know best; throw yourself and your problems into the arms of Jesus and let Him carry you through this. You will make it!

I spent another full Saturday at my office. (I’m calling it AVA for short). Basically I was installing Mandrivia, and putting a power box from another donated computer to make a third computer workable. Neither project got finished. I’m realizing that if I hope to make old donated computers usable, I will simply have to allow time for it.

The man came on Thursday to install the lines, so I have phone (653-2417) and High Speed and wireless for the computers at the office.

Something else has developed. I talked to a couple of friends who would like to learn some computer basics, but really don’t want to give up four months to learn that. Nor do they want to learn everything I am planning to put in that block of time. Then my brother Tom called Wednesday evening and asked if I was willing to take on senior citizens. He knew some from his apartment building who would like such a course, but they also were not ready to go out every week day for four months.

In that conversation I realized that since I was not going to have a full four months to offer from January through April any more, it would make perfect sense to offer some shorter one-week, half-day courses and encourage people like these seniors to sign up for them. I can put off my internship plan until May and start that then.

Hmm! Good idea. Tom said I’d have to contact Saskatoon Housing Assoc. for permission to put up posters in the buildings that have seniors, but he thought they would go for that. So I prepared some samples, and went to track down the right person(s) on Friday to get permission. Yesterday I had a call from a man who seems to be in a place of authority, but I was to email him my poster first. I did that.

So here I am Announcing a NEW plan for a few months. I need another week or two to get four working computers set up, but then I’m going to offer 5 mornings - one week courses at $99. I’ll take only four students per week to make sure I can give them individual attention, and those signing up for the very first week, (as I expect I’ll need to iron out some kinks and unexpected things I run into), will get the course for a discount price of just $75.

They will be learning;
- the computer hardware and how to set it all up - what is everything suppose to do
- how to troubleshoot common computer problems. They will rarely need to hire a techie.
- how to explore and USE the programs on their computer - eg. scan photos, filing documents
- keyboarding skills (typing and short-cuts) - and to do backups
- how to use email effectively and safely - avoid SPAM and viruses
- how to surf the web, shop online and do research (find what you want to know)
- about Open Source/linux software, and some safe income-opportunities
- if they have a personal desire to learn something I’ll try to fit it in just for that person!
NO GAMBLING OR GAMES - only the ethical and good things to do with a computer!

The one hitch here is that the office is up a flight of narrow stairs. I am sorry for those with handicaps who will not be able to come because of that.

I’m hoping to go pick up a couple of computers in Warman this afternoon. Hopefully I can be set up and ready to start my first course as soon as I have four students lined up.

How does this affect the rest of the work I’ve promised various people? Well, somehow I’m going to cram it all into my afternoons and evenings. I’m going to have to pray for and expect miracles on a daily basis. Once I have interns I hope to share some of my workload, but with this plan I’ll be sacrificing my mornings, and squeezing the essentials, like writing this RoseBouquet to the afternoons. Maybe I’ll be able to deal with some things while my students are practicing what I teach them at 9 AM, but I shouldn’t hold my breath for that, right?

Incidentally, I’ve got my first commission check from MyPowerMall! Yes, it does pay off! Now let’s watch and see if it really doubles every month.

I placed an expensive 7-day ad in the paper for my Open House at my new business, but realizing that the turnout might be limited the first Saturday (this last one) I extended it to next Saturday. I dressed up a bit, and made sure I was there by 9 am.

In my heart I felt that since i didn’t have all the computers and printers in place, it might discourage anyone from applying to be an intern if they came to see this office, so in a way, I was not too upset that no one came. I had a quiet day all by myself, cleaning keyboards with Q-tips and hydrogen peroxide, and trying out various operating systems on the one computer.

On Sunday afternoon and evening I had my belated New Year’s Prayer Retreat. I tell you, I felt much better after that. It is always good to get a fresh over-all picture of where my life is going and what i need to ask the Lord to grant me yet.

At this point I am praying for more working computers. (My old one might be revived if I can install a new motherboard, etc.) and the old one from my brother Tom is working.

I’m also praying for the biggest miracle; that God will bring in exactly four suitable people to be interns, willing to learn from me and to pay me for the skills and knowledge i can share with them.

God has done so many wonderful things for me last year, and in bringing me this far - surely He will provide. And IF He should not - I’ll just set it all aside, cancel my rent and the phone/internet connection (coming on Thursday) and stay home and try to keep up with my already full solo business schedule.

At least there is a chance I could catch up one my emails then!

Sunday I found some encouraging Bible passsages in Psalms 126, 128 and 138, and here’s one I should turn into an office poster; “The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and He adds no trouble to it.” (Proverbs. 10:22). Wouldn’t you love a wealth that comes without trouble attached?

Despite my ill health hindrance, I have been working on my new business all through December. It seems that most stages took more time than I first expected. First I cleaned the three rooms I’m leasing, which I call the Sunshine Suite upstairs at Western Tract Mission’s building. Then I painted the rooms. WTM paid for the paint.

Through a gift I was able to rent a Dr. Rug steam cleaner and spent a whole Saturday cleaning the carpets. Well, I did the hallways too.

I wanted the rooms to have a touch of class, so I put up pretty wallpaper borders I had found cheap at the Sally Ann. I put them about eye-level when sitting at a computer, so there will be something pleasant to look at. Then it was time to look for furniture. The director of WTM offered me some spare stuff sitting in the basement. A huge monster desk was left behind in the smallest office, and the WTM director, Arnold, was happy to hear that I wouldn’t insist it be moved out. Nobody wants to “move” it. Another ministry was moving out of the building, and their director was willing to let me have some pieces of furniture.

However, I still wanted four computer desks, and office chairs, as I plan to take on students (whom I’m referring to as interns), and I didn’t want them to have to work on rough old desks. I had got my December support check before Christmas and I had deposited. On Boxing Day (the biggest shopping day of the year in Canada) I studied the flyers and did online research and discovered that I could get a really good deal on computer desks from WalMart. They have a brand new big-box store at the south end of Saskatoon. I had not been there yet, but I decided to go looking. Yes! I found four such desks for under $50 each. Anywhere else they were at least $70 or $100.

From there I went to drop in on an older couple who are my supporters from way back, and they had more used furniture they were happy to give me. On the internet I’d discovered someone advertising a 19″ monitor to give away. I went to pick that up next. By the end of the afternoon I had the car full!

I headed over to the WTM office building and lugged it all inside, and then all upstairs into my office suite.

The next few days I spent quietly at home, getting some paper work cleared up. On the Saturday I went shopping at another place where I could buy four secretarial chairs for a steal of a price. When you get such bargains you do have to exert some effort to make up the money saved. I took them up to my office, and spent the rest of the day assembling the chairs (not too hard), and the desks. There I still need someone to tighten the screws for me.

Next stage, get the paperwork finished and send out press releases and get ready for the public to show interest and come to fill out application forms. That’s my main effort phase this week.

I’m taking the rest of today off to spend it with friends, and at midnight, I’ve promised to go to the airport to pick up my dear friends and neighbours, Joe and Penny Homontowski. They went down to Maryland to visit their family, but had some adventures there too. Penny had a near heart attack, and was flown to a larger hospital in Baltimore for emergency surgery. She phoned me yesterday and sounds much, much better! We rejoice that it happened when and where it did.

Back in November when I first started working towards this new business, Azaleas Virtual Assistants, which is now registered and licensed - I sort of hoped I could start on January 2. Because of the delays I need to allow another week or two to recruit the training students I’ll be taking on. The idea is that they will help me with my internet work as part of their training, but I will also help them start a web business and guide them over their shoulders - like a hothouse for seedlings, or an incubator for baby chicks.

Since the business phone and internet connection can’t be done until the 10th, I may be jugging where I’m at. To do some things I’ll need to be home, but I also need to be at the office to set up the second hand computers I’ve rounded up, and to be there when potential students come for applications and interviews.

Hopefully the media will come interview me too, for some good publicity!

So what about this RoseBouquet? Well, I am probably going to be scrambling for the next few weeks to get everything done, but once I have some interns trained to do some basics, and once I can give them assignments at the beginning of the day, I hope to slip into my office and carry on with my own work - that only I can do. I may have to make up the difference in the evenings for a while, but once those interns become useful - look out! It will be like multiplying myself by about four!

Oh yes, I’ve taken some photos. I don’t expect to have enough time for a photo story today, but hopefully before too long.